Banjo Bridges

Subject: Banjo Bridges
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 05 Jul 02 - 02:28 PM

My Aria Pro II 5-String (Masterclone) has a Grover bridge, but I've been reading about Emerson Power Bridges, Snuffy Smith's and a few others. Does anyone have any experience with these? I am very happy with the sound I'm getting now, but there is always room for improvement.

Subject: RE: Banjo Bridges
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 05 Jul 02 - 03:59 PM

He related to Beau n' Jeff?

Subject: RE: Banjo Bridges
From: Charcloth
Date: 06 Jul 02 - 12:15 AM

There ya go again, tinker, tinker, tinker

Subject: RE: Banjo Bridges
From: DonMeixner
Date: 06 Jul 02 - 12:53 AM

Steve,

I have used a number of bridges on my banjos before. I like the Grover three footed bridge just fine but right now I have three footed compensated bridge on my Ode Longneck 5. Good old timey sound when accoustic, full balanced sound when amplified by a PUTW banjo tranzducer. But I've also used a solid piece of pine of the right height and found it adequate for old time stuff.

I feel that the tension on the top and the material of the top to be more important to sound than the bridge I used.

Don

Subject: RE: Banjo Bridges
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 06 Jul 02 - 09:31 AM

Hey Charcloth, I'd rather tinker with the bridge than the head tension (BG).

Subject: RE: Banjo Bridges
From: catspaw49
Date: 06 Jul 02 - 09:44 AM

I would think it would take a real shitload of banjos to build a bridge....even a small one over some little creek.

Let me know how it goes for you Steve.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Banjo Bridges
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 06 Jul 02 - 09:46 AM

Thanks again 'Spaw. I thought I would hear from you eventually on this one.

This from Bill Palmer's site.

The EMERSON "Power Bridge" Approaching a Stelling sound on a Gibson banjo

The other bridge that I received was a bridge from Kelly Emerson. Kelly is the son of Bill Emerson, who is a remarkable banjo player. Bill's "Banjo Jamboree" is one of the fastest banjo instrumentals I have ever heard.

I was on an auction site and saw these banjo bridges advertised, so I e-mailed Kelly about them and he sent one to me to try out. I thought the claims he made might have been a little excessive--until I tried it. This is a really fine bridge!

It is made of cherry wood--no ebony top--it doesn't need one. This bridge really kicks up the volume of a banjo, with particular emphasis on the treble end. However, you don't sacrifice any bass for it. I have tried this on several banjos and I found it quite interesting. Unlike most bridges that simply make a clacking sound when they are dropped, these bridges have a definite pitch. They go "clink" when dropped onto a hard surface.

I found that my Scruggs model had more bite and volume when I used this bridge on it. If your banjo needs a boost, try one. You can order them from Kelly Emerson at Banjo Fever.com.

Subject: RE: Banjo Bridges
From: X
Date: 06 Jul 02 - 01:16 PM

Steve:

I use Gary Sosebees Submerged Wood Bridges.

I Quote:

"After wood has been submerged for some years, a change takes place in the cells of the wood. Anaerobic bacteria eat the substance within the cells - the hemicellulose and other starches. This leaves a hollow cell chamber thus improving the acoustic qualities of the wood.When regular wood dries the cells close and become deformed, this the great violin maker Stradivarius, among others, under stood well, and consequently we now know that he soaked his wood for years before making an instrument."

It sounds like a bunch of bull but the bridges are good!

I'll look for that tab when I get back home and get it to you.

Subject: RE: Banjo Bridges
From: Charley Noble
Date: 06 Jul 02 - 01:46 PM

Hell, why just submerge the bridge when you could be throwing in the entire banjo! (YES!!!) Think of how wonderful it would sound after just a few years (YES!!!!) Think of how peaceful it would be until then (YAHHHH!).

So sorry to pick on you! ;~)

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Banjo Bridges
From: X
Date: 06 Jul 02 - 02:39 PM

Ah ha! Chuck,

You are not to far from the truth. I know of a guy who is making rims for banjos out of the stuff.

By the way, this wood has sat under the water in Lake Superior for over 100 years, so it's old wood too. It's maple so you could make a guitar out of the stuff. Man, what if you made a guitar a kin to the Gibson Jumbo using submerged wood. How about an F-5?

Subject: RE: Banjo Bridges
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 06 Jul 02 - 03:23 PM

I am not sceptical about submerged wood, I am pretty sure that recovered maple will in fact result in an instrument with superior tone.

I think it should be borne in mind however that the old growth timber was much better timber to start with, ( slow growth resulting in much tighter grain).

I would also be interested to know whether there is any contemporary corroborative evidence that Stradivarius did in fact submerge his timber, or whether this is a modern conjecture based on some kind of ( presumably non-destructive !) testing of his instruments.

Murray

Subject: RE: Banjo Bridges
From: X
Date: 06 Jul 02 - 04:14 PM

Murry:

The "Facts" I stated are from the flyer that comes with the bridge. Maybe if you contact Gary Sosebee he can inform you as to where he got the info. You can also see the bridge at www.banjostore.com

Subject: RE: Banjo Bridges
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 06 Jul 02 - 04:41 PM

I've seen the Submerged Wood Rims on e-Bay. Sounds great in principal, but so do golf clubs guaranteed to knock strokes off your game and fishing lures that will have your limit within 15 minutes.

Banjoest, did you notice any difference with the Submerged Wood bridge? Have you ever tried the Emerson?

I'll watch for the Tab. Thanks.

Steve

Subject: RE: Banjo Bridges
From: X
Date: 06 Jul 02 - 05:39 PM

Steve:

I never tried the Emerson but I have heard it. It's loud but you lose the bottom end. The Sub. wood bridge brought the out the tone that the banjo already had. I got several, enough to last my life time, because the wood is of a finite amount.

Bridges for the banjo are like everything for the banjo, you have to try it all untill you find what the banjo likes.

Anyway...I don't play golf and who in the hell wants to catch their limit in 15 min. LOL

Subject: RE: Banjo Bridges
From: DonMeixner
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 12:41 AM

Submerged wood has a real valid history. Pine trees were cut and submerged to allow the sap to be replace with water. This allowed the trees to cure without cracking and made for excellent masts for sailing ships.

Some of the best shingles on the east coast were cedar that fell in the swamps and sank. The trees were spudded out of the muck, cut into billots, and froed into shingles. Cedar is fairly rot resistant. This made it more so.

I can see it working (kinda) with tone woods.

Don

Subject: RE: Banjo Bridges
From: Les B
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 03:48 PM

Steve - I've tried the Emerson bridge on my SS10 frailing banjo. It does seem to increase the volumne and perhaps the high end. Changing the "no-knot" tail piece to a more solid tail piece may also have helped achieve this, however.

The Emerson is very thin and the feet (three) are very small, almost pointed. You can really notice their imprint from the underside of the head.

A friend of mine has put one of the submerged wood bridges on his Stelling. He says it makes it sound slightly better, not a big change, but an improvement in tone. I heared him play this past weekend and wasn't aware of much difference from the front. But his Stelling always sounds good.

Subject: RE: Banjo Bridges
From: Les B
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 03:50 PM

Boy, am I starting to sound backwoodsy - it should be "heard" not "heared"!!!

Subject: RE: Banjo Bridges
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 06:49 PM

There is no denying the fact that submerged timber has superior properties in many ways to conventionally air or kiln dried timber. Don has explained it well above.

In Ireland, "bog oak" has been well known for centuries. Basically the same principle.

I would still be interested to have answers to the Stradivarius question, so I will start another thread, as Strad experts may not necessarily click on to a "Banjo Bridges" thread ....

Murray

Subject: RE: Banjo Bridges
From: X
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 08:16 PM

Hey!

The peg head on my Mastertone is shaped like a Stradivarius!